Introduction
This is my 3rd watch, my 1st quartz, and also my 1st Citizen all at the same time. Let me start by saying objectively that I LOVE everything about this watch. There are only a few miniscule complaints I could level against it but they are ultimately unimportant. I may already possess my “grail” in the BM6400-00E.

I love the size and weight of this watch. The diameter works well on my 6.6” wrist without looking too small. I also love how slim it is at only 11mm. It’s extremely lightweight because of the strap, but at the same time the watch itself has a good heft and it feels very solid.

No sapphire crystal, but what can you expect at this price point? I’ve never had any problem with a hardened mineral crystal. This is my first watch I’ve had with a canvas strap; I’ll comment on that later.

Overall Aesthetics
I love the look of this thing. I went back to my roots of simplicity with this one, but in a kind of neo-pilot style. The numerals are huge and easy to read. There are small minute markings on the outside of the dial. The crystal is slightly raised but rounded on the edge, and at certain angles it magnifies the numerals with awesome effect. I really like the gnarled crown; it gives the watch a more rugged appearance and is functional as well. The brushed stainless steel case is gorgeous. To be honest I’m not a huge fan of the hour hand, but it’s a minor detail that couldn’t stop me from getting this watch. In my opinion this watch is extremely versatile. It has the elements of a pilot or military style watch, but at the same time it looks refined enough to be dressed up a bit. The bottom line: this is quite honestly one of the most superb looking watch designs that I have ever laid eyes on, in person or in pictures.

Strap
The strap is black canvas with reinforced metal eyelets. There is a canvas keeper as well as a metal one. Personally I think the strap looks and feels great once it is broken in a little, and it complements the pilot/military style very well. Some have said it’s better on a Nato or Maratac strap. I can’t disagree as I haven’t tried them out, but the stock strap feels tough and looks great while being very comfortable at the same time. I am more than satisfied with it.

Movement
The movement is some kind of Japanese quartz. The accuracy has been excellent thus far in my short time of usage. Citizen has a reputation for quality so I’m not worried about accuracy whatsoever.

Lume
When the lume receives a prolonged charge it looks excellent. It’s a brilliant electric blue, a nice change from the usual neon green. The lume definitely lasts longer on this Citizen than my Orient Mako. I’m assuming the large surface area of the numerals is a huge contributing factor. It is clearly visible throughout the entire night.

Special Features
I’ll go over the smaller features first. The date window in this watch is somewhat small but by no means unreadable. It is slightly recessed so at time there is a small shadow cast on it, but if you need to know the date it is indeed there. The watch is water resistant to 200 meters so you don’t need to worry about getting it wet or maybe swimming with it, and the screw down crown helps with this of course. Transitioning from my Orient Black Mako to this watch, the screw down crown is a feature I’m glad to have retained.

Of course the main special feature on this watch is the well known Eco-Drive solar charging. I love that this watch is so high-tech without looking like it. Now I may be wrong, but from what I’ve heard Eco-Drive watches will still eventually need to have their batteries replaced, but only once every 8 years or so. Even if this is true, compare being hassled once every 8 years to being hassled changing a battery about 4 times in 8 years. Definitely worth the “risk” if you ask me.

Overall Build Quality
Overall the watch feels very light but at the same time very solid. It’s only light because of the canvas strap, but even this component feels like it could take a beating. This watch seems very rugged, but only time will tell I guess.

Price/Value
I paid $120 shipped for this watch from Amazon, making it my most expensive watch. This thing is worth every penny. Sure, it may not have a sapphire crystal, but I wouldn’t expect that at this price point and mineral crystals have never failed me anyways. I don’t really worry about keeping my watches in pristine condition; I feel that wear and tear on a watch makes it special and tells the story of the man it served. Day/date would’ve been nice, but how often do you really forget what day of the week it is?

Final Thoughts
This watch was an excellent introduction to quartz, Citizen, and Eco-Drive technology all in one pristine little package. Citizen is obviously a company that pays attention to detail and is very capable of fabricating amazing and original designs. This piece skyrockets Citizen to the top of my favorite companies list. Sure you can get quartz for cheaper, but it won’t touch this level of quality. Over the last few weeks I’ve exhaustively scanned every possible quartz option under $200 from all the most reputable companies (Citizen, Seiko, Bulova, Timex, Casio, Momentum, Tissot), and nothing trumps the BM6400-00E. This watch represents symbiosis between cutting edge horological technology and extraordinary aesthetics.

Agree, Iíve got several Promasters but this one ticks all the boxes Ė uncluttered, tough, easy to read, and not overburdened with features that I am never going to use. Mine is on a Zulu strap, because the strap supplied has holes spaced a fair way apart, meaning when I put the watch on it was slightly too loose or too tight. Otherwise, 100 per cent (and for those of you who canít run to a Promaster Tough a la Ray Mears, it looks very similar to the overpriced titanium version Ė assuming you can even find one now that they are discontinued).

Agree, I’ve got several Promasters but this one ticks all the boxes – uncluttered, tough, easy to read, and not overburdened with features that I am never going to use. Mine is on a Zulu strap, because the strap supplied has holes spaced a fair way apart, meaning when I put the watch on it was slightly too loose or too tight. Otherwise, 100 per cent (and for those of you who can’t run to a Promaster Tough a la Ray Mears, it looks very similar to the overpriced titanium version – assuming you can even find one now that they are discontinued).

Your point about the hole spacing is indeed true. I usually just wear mine on the loose side but sometimes it slides around. Even with this minor flaw I still am in love with this design. It's thickness is just perfect: very slim, but not too thin like a Skagen which feels like it could snap in half at any moment.

isnt Citizen the largest manufacturer in the world now that they have Bulova?

I believe that is correct. They have multiple brands, including Citizen, Bulova, Accutron, Wittnauer (although link has disappeared from the Bulova site, so not sure what's up there), Frank Lloyd Wright, Caravelle, Harley Davidson and several Japanese market brands including: Campanola (also available in the US), Independent, Karidea, Wicca, Reguno, Q&Q and Vagary.

Also through their Miyota division they supply mechanisms (both quartz and mechanical) to brands all over the world.